NEWS ARCHIVE

State of Addiction: Drug-assisted recovery

WEBVTT MEDICATION CAN HELP PEOPLE BEATADDICTIONS TO ALCOHOL ANDOPIOIDS.AND HERE IN OMAHA, THERE'S ARELATIVELY NEW TREATMENT PROGRAMUSING A NEW FORM OF MEDICATIONCOMBINED WITH THERAPY.JULIE: A DOCTOR IMPLANTS A TIMERELEASE DRUG THAT WIPES OUTCRAVINGS.AND THEN THE PATIENT GOESTHROUGH BEHAVIOR THERAPY ANDCOACHING TO MAKE PERMANENTCHANGES.AND PATIENTS TELL US, IT'SCHANGING LIVES.REPORTER: STROLLING THROUGHMIDTOWN OMAHA, HE SHARES HISSTORY.>> I DID IN PATIENT.I DID 90 DAY OUT PATIENT.I DID HYDROTHERAPY HERBALISTICSTUFF.REPORTER: JEREMY MILLER LIVEDWITH LIFE-THREATENINGALCOHOLISM.HE SAYS HE TRIED EVERYTHING TOQUIT DRINKING.>> I WAS AS DESPERATE AS COULDBE.IF I'D HAVE OWNED A GUN, IWOULDN'T BE HERE.JULIE: HE DEALT WITH SOCIALANXIETY AND GROWING PAINS AS AKID.JEREMY WAS THE CHILD ACTORPLAYING THE YOUNGEST SON, BEN,IN THE 80'S TELEVISION SIT-COM"GROWING PAINS."BUT AS AN ADULT, HE SAID HISBRAIN WAS HIJACKED BY ALIFE-THREATENING ALCOHOLADDICTION.CRAVINGS FOR BOOZE FLOODED HISBRAIN.>> IT WAS THAT CONSTANTBOMBARDMENT OF I NEED, I NEED,WHEN'S MY NEXT DRINK?JULIE: A FEW YEARS AGO, JEREMYFOUND A TREATMENT NOW BEINGOFFERED IN OMAHA BY A PROGRAMCALLED "I GOT SOBER.">> I FELT LIKE I HAD MY BRAINBACK.I COULD ACTUALLY THINK ACOHERENT THOUGHT.JULIE: THE OMAHA PROGRAM ISFINDING SUCCESS TREATING OPIOIDAND ALCOHOL ADDICTION.THEY USE A COMBINATION OF THISTIME RELEASE IMPLANT MEDICINECALLED NALTREXONE, BEHAVIORTHERAPY, AND RECOVERY COACHING.THE DRUG IS A TIME RELEASEPELLET.IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES INOTHER FORMS. AND DOCTORS SAY IT BLOCKSCRAVINGS IN THE BRAIN.SO ALCOHOL AND OPIOIDS HAVE NOEFFECT ON THE BODY.>> WHEN I RECEIVED THE IMPLANT,IT WAS LIKE SOMEONE FLICKED OFFTHE LIGHT SWITCH.THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO PUT IT.THE CRAVINGS JUST WEREN'T THERE.THERE WAS NO MEDICATED FEELING.I DIDN'T FEEL DRUGGED ORANYTHING LIKE THAT.JULIE: OMAHA FAMILY PRACTICEDOCTOR MAMAN ALI, DOES A SIMPLEOUTPATIENT PROCEDURE, PLACINGTHE MEDICINE UNDER THE SKIN,NEAR THE BELLY BUTTON WHERE IT'SABSORBED FOR MONTHS.HOW SOON AFTER TREATMENT DOPEOPLE FEEL THE EFFECT?>> IT'S IMMEDIATE.AS SOON AS ONE WEEK AFTER, THEYCOME BACK FOR A CHECK UP.JULIE: CREIGHTON PREP ALUM LEOALLISON WENT THROUGH THETREATMENT MORE THAN SIX YEARSAGO.NOW HE RUNS "I GOT SOBER "AS ARECOVERY COACH.>> THEY WANT WHAT YOU HAVE, NOTIN AN EGO SENSE, BUT THAT YOUHAVE BEEN WHERE THEY ARE.YOU'VE RECOVERED.THEY WANT YOU TO HELP THEM ALONGTHE WAY.JULIE: HE SAYS NALTREXONE STOPSTHE DRUG AND ALCOHOL CRAVINGS,SO THAT AROUND THE TABLE,BEHAVIOR THERAPY AND COACHINGCAN FINALLY TAKE HOLD.OMAHA NATIVE, TOM WELCH IS V.P.OF OPERATIONS AND HAS 40 OFTHESE TREATMENT CENTERS ACROSSTHE COUNTRY.THE OUTPATIENT PROGRAM LASTS 12MONTHS.>> OUR PROGRAM LASTS A FULL YEARBECAUSE BEHAVIORAL CHANGES DON'THAPPEN IN 30 DAYS.THEY DON'T HAPPEN IN 60 DAYS.IT TAKES TIME.JULIE: NOW SIX YEARS SOBER,JEREMY IS BACK TO ACTING AGAIN,MAKING MOVIES AND WORKING AS APEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST FOR THEPROGRAM THAT HE SAYS RESCUEDHIM.>> I'M LIVING A MORE JOYFULHAPPY LIFE, AND FREE.FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE.JULIE: IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE,IT'S THE NALTREXONE COMBINEDWITH BEHAVIOR THERAPY THAT HELPSMAKE LASTING CHANGES.THEY HAVE AN 80% SUCCESS RAT